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Japan: A loyal market for Bourgogne wines

15/06/2020

Key figures in 2019 for Bourgogne wines in Japan

3rd biggest market in terms of revenue

5th biggest market by volume

Exports: 7.5 million bottles (up 2.4% on 2018), for 113 million euros (up 10.7% on 2018) by volume

• White wines: 59%
• Red/rosé wines: 36%
• Crémant de Bourgogne: 5%

In 2019, Bourgogne wines accounted for 16% of the volume of French AOC wines exported to Japan, for 23% of the revenue.

Bourgogne has long enjoyed a genuine aura in Japan, a land whose culture, tastes, and values are very much in tune with these wines. In 2019, Japan remained the third biggest export market for Bourgogne wines by revenue, despite a slowdown in Japanese growth, which practically halved between 2017 and 2019 (source: DG Trésor – 29 January 2020).

The trade agreement between the European Union and Japan, which came into effect on 1 February 2019, allowed for the elimination of customs duties on nearly all‐bilateral trade, and had an undeniable impact on the good performance of Bourgogne wines in 2019. There is, however, a need for vigilance on the evolution of the tarifffree terms of this agreement (more flexible controls relating to the origin of products; a shift in Japanese norms towards international standards; the opening of local public markets; etc.).

Record revenue

Since the devaluation of the yen in 2013, which had a major impact on the price and imports of Bourgogne wines, revenue has returned to an upward trajectory. It increased 10.7% in 2019 year‐on‐year, reaching 113 million euros. All categories saw growth in revenue:

• Up 6.4% for red wines
• Up 15.5% for white wines
• Up 23% for Crémant de Bourgogne

Meanwhile, export volumes also returned to growth (up 2.4% on 2018) to 7.5 million bottles, after six years of decline.